Tack shop owner has brainwave over plastic waste

A tack shop in Berkshire is leading the way in reducing plastic waste within its local equestrian community.

Mel Jones, owner of New Threshers Barn in Thatcham, told H&H that wasteful packaging is a “real bugbear” of hers.

She wanted to do something to counteract the amount of plastic her customers were throwing away, so is now offering refills on fly spray, so fewer bottles will be used, while customers will save money.

“The amount of packaging we throw away really bothers me, and I had a bit of a brainwave,” she said.

Customers can refill their one-litre bottles from larger containers of the same product for £5 less than if they bought a new bottle the same size.

“If just 10 of my customers do this over the summer it will save around 100 bottles of fly spray,” said Ms Jones, who hopes to introduce further measures in the future to help reduce her impact on the environment.

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Hoof oil and horse shampoo refills are also on the cards.

“We have all of these tubs of supplements, pots of treats, plastic bottles of shampoo, and even hoof oil brushes and sponges wrapped in plastic,” said Ms Jones.

“It’s just waste upon waste. Companies need to think about what they’re putting their products into and make it clear whether or not the packaging is recyclable.